Apparatus for casing and preserving the natural color of leaf tobacco



R. FEBLES March 5, 1929.

APPARATUS FOR CASING AND PRESERVING' THE NATURAL COLOR OF LEAF TOBACCO Filed Aug. 14, 1924 Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

entree stares ears-far crates.

RAMON FEIBLES, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO JAMES Y. BROWN AND ONE-THIRD TO G. P. GILL.

APPARATUS FOR CASING AND PRESERVING THE NATURAL COLOR F LEAF TOBACCO.

'Application filed August 14, 1924. Serial No. 732,082.

This invention relates to a new process and apparatus for casing and preserving the color of leaf tobacco in such a way that the quality, texture and color of the leaf is pre- 6 served, thereby rendering the leaf tobacco in proper condition for stripping, booking and making into cigars.

Heretofore it has been customary to case leaf tobacco by immersing it in water. However, it has been found that this process is very undesirable because the tobacco not only becomes too wet and too tender to handle but is also darkened and rendered spotted and otherwise greatly deteriorated. Therefore, the present invention has primarily in View novel means which obviates the necessity of the leaf tobacco coming in contact with Water and yet on the other hand enables the same to become thoroughly saturated by absorption. In other words, the present process contemplates subjecting the leaf tobacco to a moisture laden air in such a way that the tobacco will absorb all of the moisture that the natural condition will permit, thereby avoiding over-moistening and positively preventing actual contact of Water with the leaf.

One of the objects of the present invention is to proivde an apparatus which'will obviate the necessity of skilled operators for properly casing the leaf tobacco used in making cigar wrappers and the like. That is to say, according to present practice by which the wrappers are cased in water, it is necessary to employ men careful and skilled for that purpose, but by using the present apparatus unskilled help may be employed. Also it is proposed to provide an apparatus which is so constructed that there is no danger of water from any of the reservoirs leaking and making its way to the leaf tobacco, thereby insuring only moist air from the wicks reaching the tobacco. Y

A preferred execution of the process and one form of apparatus for carrying the same into effect is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of an apparatus illustrating the manner of handling and supporting the hands of leaf tobacco while the process is being carried out.

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional view of one of the side walls of the structure Figure 3 is a detail top plan v ew 11lustrating the construction at the point where the troughs are supplied with water from the upper reservoirs.

As previously indicated it is Very undesirable to have water actually come in contact with the tobacco leaves because it makes the come darkened to such an extent that it is frequently diliicult to later tell whether they were originally the desirable light leaf or the heavier and stronger dark leaf tobacco. In many cases it is necessary for the manufacturer to reject or throw out many pounds of tobacco which have been spoiled by Water casing which makes the leaf too dark and too tender, and therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to eliminate all of this waste and produce a uniformly high quality light, glossy, and bright leaf. In the actual working of the process it has been found'that no waste results and therefore the present process is of maximum efliciency.

In carrying out the process it is proposed to take the leaf tobacco from the bales in which it is packed in hands. Each hand of tobacco is then shaken sothat the individual leaves fall apart and after they have been separated so that moist air can readily make its Way to all parts and all of the leaves uniformly the said hands of tobacco are level above the bottom of the container while the side walls of the container are also equipped with the reservoirs? The inside faces of the reservoirs 3 are fitted with wicks W whose upper ends are immersed in the reservoirs 3 While their lower ends project into the water in the bottom 1 of the container. Thesaid supports S include troughs 4 which carry the upper ends of the wicks W, and the said troughs are supplied with water by the siphon tubes 5, the said tubes communicating with the water in the reservoirs 3.

F or the purpose of preventing the leaf tobacco from coming in contact with the wicks l/V suitable wire guards or screens 6 are provided as a part of the supports. it will therefore be apparent thatthe leaves never-come actually in contact with the wic {S or the water thereon.

In placing the hands of tobacco on the supports S it is preferred replace the same on alternate supports so as to leave one intervening support without any tobacco to insure moisture being properly supplied to the outside leaves of the hands.

After the supports S have been fitted with the desired number of hands of tobacco, and,

the reservoirs 3 are filled and the bottom 1 of the container is filled with water to level of the outlet 2, the cover C is placed on the container in an airtight manner and the casing process continues.

The dry leaves of tobacco in the hands on the supports have a tremendous avidity for moisture, and this natural avidity or the leaves for the moisture causes a siphoning action to be set up in the tubes 5 forsupplying water from the reservoirs 3 to the wicks N.

When the'cover C is first put on the container no water will be obser dripping from the spout or outlet 2. l-lowever, after a short period water will begin to drip from the spout 2 thus showing that the leaf tobacco has begun to absorb moisture from the WlCKS W and start a siphoning action in the tubes 5 thereby supplying the troughs l with water from the reservoirs 8.

As long as water continues to drip from the spout 2 the operator knows that the leaf tobacco in the apparatus is still absorbing moisture and when the water ceases to drip from the spout 2 the operator knows that the casing process is completed without even looking at the'tobacco or otherwise lifting the cover 0 for inspection. Thus, the apparatus automatically indicates when the tobacco has absorbed all of the necessary moisture because the water ceases to drip from the spout 2.

After the leaf tobacco has been thus treated in the apparatus itis in proper condition for stripping and for making cigar wrappers. It be used immediately or it may be kept indefinitely, ray four or five weeks in the wrapper cans, wellcovercd without getting hot, spotted, dried or otherwise rendered unfit foruse.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present process has in view soparating the leaves in the hands of tobacco placing them astride moisturegiving supports in an air-tight container, permitting them to remain in such container until they have automatically absorbed the required amount of water usually a period not to exceed twenty-four hours. After'the tobacco has been thus cased it may be removed and stripped and used in thusual manner for the making of cigars.

Up to the present time, where the water casing process has been employeth it has been impossible for a cigar manufacturer to keep a reserve supply of stripped wrappers on hand, because as previously indicated, the actual contact of water with the leaf tobacco causes the same to rapidly deteriorate, with conse quentloss to the manu; .cturer. With the present casing process however, it is possible for the manufacture to have a four or five weeks supply of stripped wrappers on hand for making into cigars without the same losing their color, becoming spotted or otherwise deteriorated. v

By practicing the present process a manufacturer is enabled to the tobacco in one 7 city and ship it to a different city and yet 7 have it in a proper condition for use at its destination. That is to say, after the tobacco leaf has been cased by the present process and stripped the leaves may be placed in the "1111): 1' cans and kept almostindefinitely and yet'always be ready for use. On the other hand however if the tob coo was cased by the water process this would be impossible without great loss in color and quality.

The present process has found to be efiicientfor example it 100 lbs. of claros cased by this process the manufacturer is insured of receiving 100 lbs. of claro wrappers in perfect condition, the color of the wrapper being at least a shade lighter than could possibly be obtained by the water.

casing process in which there is always ap proximately a 25% loss.

Referring further to the apparatus shown in the'drawings, it will be observed that the bottom of the tank 1 constitutes a lower reservoir having a drain outlet or spout 2 while the upper reservoirs 3 serve to supply the troughs l: with water through the tubes .5 from theupper reservoirs. The supports S which include the troughs l and the wicks W are in the form of composite partitions which are formed by the wire or equivalent guards 6 arranged at opposite sides of the wicks W and held 1n p0s1t1on by the channel members 7 carried by the frame work of the re-' movable foraminous basketwhich protects the tobacco from contact with the wicLs VV' that lie against the side walls of the upper reservoir 3.

It will, of course, be understood that the siphon tubes 5 are properly primed when the, apparatus is first started so as to insure proper siphonic action. Also for the purpose of insuring maximum eiliciency in cold weather, it will be understood that water of the propertemperature will be used in the reservoirs l and 3. If the apparatus operates continu ously under low temperature conditions, it may be desirable to supply steam to the upper reservoir to keep the water at the proper temperature. However, it will beunderstood that heat supplied from this source is not intended for sweating purposes but merely to keep the temperature of the water normal for the purpose intended.

I claim 1. An apparatus for casing leaf tobacco including a container, moisture circulating means including wicking, a siphonic water supplying means for the circulating means,

and hanger means for suspending the hands of tobacco in proximity to the moisture cin culating means.

2. An apparatus for easing leaf tobacco in cluding a container, moisture circulating means including wicking, a siphonic water supplying means for the circulating means, and hanger means for suspending the hands of tobacco loosely astride the moisture circulating means.

3. An apparatus for casing leaf tobacco including a container having a cover and upper and lower reservoirs, the later having a drain outlet, a plurality of moisture giving wicks spaced apart in said container and having their lower ends submerged in the bottom reservoir, siphonic water supplying means for supplying the upper ends of said wicks with Water from the upper reservoir.

4:. An apparatus for casing leaf tobacco including a container having a cover and upper and lower reservoirs, the latter having a drain outlet, wicks lining the insides of the container and havingtheir upper and lower ends respectively in the upper and lower reservoirs, a foraminous basket supported within the container and having a plurality of vertical guideways, a trough located at the position of each guideway, wicks adapted to be carried by and suspended from said troughs, and a pipe connection between the upper reservoir and the troughs.

5. An apparatus for casing leaf tobacco including a container having upper and lower reservoirs, the latter having an outlet, a tobacco carrier device adapted to be positioned within said container and having a plurality of troughs, pipes for establishing communication between said upper reservoirs and said troughs, and wicks carried by said troughs.

6. An apparatus torcasing and preserving the natural color of leaf tobacco comprising a closed container having troughs arranged across the same, wicks carried by and suspended from said troughs, means for supplying water to said troughs, and means for suspending the ends of tobacco with the leaves loosely separated in close proximity to said wicks, and guard means for preventing the tobacco from-touching the wicks;

7. An apparatus for casing and preserving the natural color of leaf tobacco comprising a container, a plurality of troughs arranged above the floor of the container, means for supplying water thereto, wicks carried by and suspendedtrom the troughs, and toraminous guard members arranged at each side of the wicks and extending above the troughs.

' In testimony whereof I hereunto afix my signature.

RAMON FEBLES. 

